Tuesday Sunset Ride

This Ride: 14.4 miles
Kona Distance: 4,718.3 miles
Month to date: 79.2 miles
2010 Total: 5,204.7 miles
5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (49.6 miles to go)

An early meeting out of town and the desire to sleep kept me from the usual 5:45 ride this morning, so as soon as I got back in town I jumped on the bike for a sunset ride.  With evening meetings, I needed to keep it short, so it is one of my shorter rides in months.

It was about 58 degrees at the start, so with a base layer, jersey, wind vest, and my bib shorts things were on the cool side.  The brisk breeze didn’t help much either.  I noticed that the bike seemed lighter also, and it made sense when I reached for the water bottle and it wasn’t there.  I rode with lights, which irritated one person enough to comment that the flashing headlight I had was “distracting”.  I was past before I could comment that was the purpose.  After sunset hardly anyone on the trail had lights on.  I don’t understand that.

I traveled south on the trail until I got to the trail closure, then traveled down Joyce Lane until I got to the circle at the end.  It was there I spotted three deer grazing on the lawn.  The ride back up Joyce Lane was a nice incline, up to about 8 degrees, and with the exception of the bit of gravel/dirt road going off the trail to get onto Joyce Lane, the route was in pretty good shape.  I’d travel that route again, next to farms with horses and an absolutely gorgeous valley.  I’ll have to get a photo of that one of these days before all the leaves change.  It was spectacular and worth the ride in itself.

I pressed the pace some, knowing that I was short on time.  I’m glad I took the time for this short ride.